If We Knew
by KandieFloss
Summary: Sequel to Hope It Gets Better. Same story, different points of view. (Mentioned AoKuro, Unrequited AoKise)
1. Three Who Knew Nothing And Everything

**A/N: I'm not sure if this makes much sense pairing it to the other story, but I tried.**

**Disclaimer in profile**

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**If We Knew: The Three Who Knew Nothing And Everything**

**Akashi POV**

He didn't know when it started. When their precious blonde had started to pull away from their little makeshift family.

Akashi watched as Kise made another see-through excuse, saying he needed to go to the post office to drop off a package. Maybe the blonde didn't see, but both Kuroko and Aomine deflated a bit, wanting to have the group together like old times.

_**(Old times. How nostalgic, even if 'old times' were a few weeks ago) **_

He noticed many things, but wished sometimes he could be like the purple giant Murasakibara, child-minded, so he could see things more clearly. Then again, he would lack understanding like a child would. Nevermind.

He saw how the blonde would cover himself up at practice, even if the gym was hot and humid. He couldn't tell what Kise was trying to hide, or if there was something terribly wrong with him.

_**(Not knowing scared Akashi. And Akashi was not one to be scared)**_

He had seen how Midorima would look at the blonde like he knew something, but didn't know how to say it. He knew Murasakibara could tell that something was wrong, even if no one said a word. He could see how Aomine and Kuroko were clueless as to the happenings around them and then just as knowing the next.

_**(The team was changing dramatically)**_

The AoKuro couple were hit the hardest with Kise breaking away, having been the closest to the blonde. Akashi had seen their fears as well; they were afraid that Kise didn't approve of the relationship. No matter how many times the redhead assured the couple, they couldn't let it go. Aomine believed the blonde was homophobic, as Kise could hardly look at the AoKuro pair without turning away.

_**(He could understand their frustration)**_

He had his frustrations of course, being that the team were beginning to break away slowly, hardly relying on even a bit of teamwork. On days were it was stressful, he'd scold the blonde for skipping or playing badly, seeing that Kise was lagging behind or missing his shots way too often. He tried his best not to scold him often after a particularly harsh one, especially as even Murasakibara had taken the time to tell him to be kinder to the blonde.

With all of these problems, as well as his own part in pulling away from the others, he never really did see how much of a bad place Kise was in until it was too late.

_**(Akashi knew better. He always did)**_

But, no matter how good he was, no matter how perceptive he thought and knew he was, he could have never predicted that Kise would leave.

_**(It was only then, when he saw Kise look one last time at their broken team, he knew)  
**_**  
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**Murasakibara POV**

The purple giant was childish as usual. His usual cycle accompanying his mind. Waking up, eating, snacking, eating, eating, basketball practice, eating, sleeping.

But, even he could see the conflict between the team.

Although his mind worked like a child, that made him even more aware of what was going on. People say young children could see what most adults couldn't, even if they didn't understand what it meant. And that was true. For him.

_**(It was scary, but as Aka-chin would say, enlightening)**_

The first time Kise faked a smile, when Aomine and Kuroko came out as a couple, he noticed. Nobody else noticed that he did though, not even Kise. They (besides Kise and somewhat himself) were excited for the newfound couple. So, the purple giant pushed the thought away as a fluke and gave the couple a gift.

_**(He saw more. He didn't like it)**_

One time, when he was near Kise, he felt a prickling sensation, and shrouded aura. It wasn't pleasant, it wasn't happy, it was downright dark. It felt like his heart was dropping and twisting into grotesque shapes. It made him want to lash out, to scream, to tear at his hair, to cut at his skin, and one thing Murasakibara was not, was violent.

_**(He didn't like that feeling)**_

As it turned out, he realised that _no_, he wasn't turning out to be a violent and abusive person, but it was Kise's feelings. Feelings towards the blonde's own self. But, as his mind worked like a child, he didn't know why.

_**(Why would Kise want to hurt himself?)**_

He knew about Kise's feelings for Aomine. But, he wondered why the blonde wouldn't tell the navyhead, because _Mine-chin liked Kise-chin like the blonde did._

_**(Why was love so complicated?)**_

Of course, he knew it wasn't easy. Aomine was dating Kuroko, and the purplehead knew that Aomine cared for both Kise and Kuroko, but the navyhead thought that only Kuroko cared for him. Even Kise's attitude against them reflected Aomine's thoughts, although Murasakibara knew different.

He also noticed how Kise would constantly pause during practice, rubbing the inside of his thighs, or his arms before getting up with a pained expression on his face. Did the blonde hurt himself during practice? No, he had hardly even got close to the ball at points.

Sometimes, he noticed how tired and hurt the blonde was when Akashi scolded him, and tried to get his Aka-chin to be kinder to the blonde, even if he knew his friend was right about Kise's bad game play.

_**(Anything to stop the feelings he felt from Kise)**_

When Kise left, he felt strangely relieved. Not in a way that he was glad the blonde left; no, he did miss the blonde's big dramatics and crying face. He was relieved because he knew; somehow, Kise would get better without them, even if only a little bit.

_**(Sometimes he wished people were child-like like him so they could see too)**_

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**Midorima POV**

Of all the Oha-Asa horoscope predictions in the world, Midorima prayed that the one he'd read wasn't true.

_- someone of Gemini will leave you soon, unexpectedly -_

_**(Gemini. Kise. No-)**_

Kise had no reason to leave. But then again, he had no reason to stay.

Of all the people to see it the most, he could. He could see how the AoKuro relationship affected the blonde, could see how Aomine in particular affected him.

Comforting Kise was out of the question. Besides, he had no idea how to comfort people. He couldn't even handle a normal conversation without coming off either cold or completely tsundere.

He said nothing for he didn't want to interfere with the budding couple. If he were honest with himself, he thought Aomine and Kuroko's relationship would destroy them, simply because they were all getting stronger. And if Aomine was getting stronger, he would have no need for Kuroko during the matches.

If he did interfere, it would cause conflict within the team, and what with the situation, they did not need that problem on top of that.

_**(What a sad revelation)**_

He knew they were growing apart, as did Akashi. Maybe Kise could see too, seeing as he pretty much refused to be with the Teiko team anymore.

He didn't pretend to be oblivious to the cuts either. He had caught a glimpse of some on his wrist one day, when the arm bands covering them shifted slightly. But in his haze of denial, he concluded it was just a few scratches from a sharp table or desk or chair.

_**(He kept an eye out just in case. Not because he cared, because he doesn't - right? - but because they need Kise's abilities)**_

He didn't see any new cuts, so assumed he was alright.

_**(Until he saw blood in the shower)**_

Midorima had forgotten some important notes in his gym locker, making him go back for it. He saw the blonde walk out of the gym locker room, freshly showered and nodded a greeting.

He was ignored.

He got his notes quickly and made to leave, when his eyes caught a trail of dotted liquid on the floor.

_**(Blood)**_

He followed it to the showers, with only one stall having been used. More small drops of blood. Unnoticeable unless you were looking closely. A small scrap of a hospital bandage lay on the floor's corner of the shower, cut cleanly by a pair of scissors.

Pained expressions, rubbing thighs and upper arms, tired, pale...

_Kise, he still cut-_

_**(He cleaned the evidence up and stayed quiet)**_

Many times he wanted to confront the blonde, but how did one approach a subject like that?_ 'Oh hi Kise I know you cut. Would you like to tell me why?' _Yeah right. He'd never say something like that.

Even finding the blonde was hard enough, let alone the difficult task of secretly confronting him. He wouldn't tell Akashi, he had enough problems as it was. He wouldn't tell the childish giant either. He wouldn't understand. He definitely wouldn't say anything to the couple either.

In the end, he never got to confront the blonde. He had left, and the team bond was shot to hell.

_**(When had they fallen so apart?)**_


	2. Two Who Weren't As Clueless

******A/N: Again, sorry if this makes no sense, but my brain was in overdrive trying to figure out how it made sense to respond the way they did. Well, enjoy anyway :)**

******Disclaimer in profile**

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**If We Knew: The Two Who Weren't As Clueless (Plus The One From The Outside)**

**Kuroko POV**

For once, the bluehead was unsure. He usually had a general idea about things and how they would work out, but the problem he had now was unsettling.

Kise was avoiding him. More specifically, avoiding him and Aomine.

_**(Kise was too attached to Kuroko. Why would he avoid...?)**_

He knew his boyfriend was worried when Kise began to skip practices and miss shots. Sure, he'd miss some shots, but not that many in a row. Besides that, it was more of Aomine's thing to skip practice than it was for Kise. This time, it was different.

He was worried too.

_**(What was wrong with him?)**_

There was one practice that really set Kuroko off, alerting him that something was wrong with the pretty blonde. Whilst they were ending the basketball practice, he saw Kise rub his thigh, only to see

_- blood, bright crimson -_

Drops of blood trickling down the inside of the blonde's thigh. He saw that Kise had noticed too, and closed his legs, hiding the evidence. The blonde looked up to see if anyone saw, and Kuroko quickly turned away, looking none the wiser.

The blonde rushed out of the gym when Akashi had announced the end of practice, Kuroko's worried gaze burning into the unknowing blonde.

He wanted to stay afterwards, but home called, and as did his parents.

_**(What's happening to him?)**_

He knew Kise was avoiding the whole team now, hardly even looking at anyone. Mainly the couple, but strangely, also Midorima. Aomine thought he was homophobic, and Kuroko was beginning to believe him, even though he could see something in Kise's eyes akin to what he himself had every time he looked at Aomine.

No matter how many times Akashi would reassure them, _no, Ryouta is not homophobic_, he couldn't fully trust his captain's words.

_**(Why else would Kise specifically avoid them the most, a strange look on his face?)**_

He knew the team were falling apart, but he and Aomine were falling too. They stopped going out on their usual dates, kissing, sometimes even a simple hug didn't happen. Kise hadn't come to practice in a week. Not even to school.

_**(Is this what it's like, falling, breaking?)**_

He came back one day, looking like death. He played badly again, stumbled, and even dropped the ball randomly. This time, when practice ended, everyone left except for him, Aomine and Kise.

Aomine shouted and screamed at an apathetic Kise, showing his anger at the situation, and finally said him something would break the team; just go.

Leave.

Kuroko watched in silence, fading into the background, as his boyfriend pushed the blonde into a decision that he had already planned to do (as Kuroko had found out years later).

_**(What have we come to?)**_

After Kise left, Aomine broke up with him. It hurt a lot, as he cared deeply for the navyhead, but brought some relief as well, as their relationship was already broken by the time the pretty blonde had gone.

_**(Broken. That's what they all were. But Kise fell first)**_

As he left Teiko for his new high school, he wondered why he never found out why there was blood on Kise's thigh, why Aomine did what he did, and why, for the love of all things, that the team broke down.

**_(He guessed that he was more clueless than he thought)_**

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**Aomine POV**

He didn't like how things were going.

It was supposed to be a perfect life; he'd date Kuroko, and maybe even get married if they could. He'd go on in school to play basketball with his friends and team, maybe make it into a career and then retire to become a policeman.

But no.

Everything was going down, and he and his team were going with it, dragging scars along the way.

_**(We can't get what we always want)**_

He first noticed when Kise faked smile as he and Kuroko told the team the good news. He could always tell when the blonde did that, because he had seen it one too many times when people would insult him. He knew that the blonde didn't know he could tell the difference.

But, he brushed it off as a bad day for the pretty blonde, and soaked up the congratulations.

_**(Maybe he shouldn't have)**_

Then came the avoiding. Kise would never lock eyes with him or Kuroko, and he had completely dropped the annoying but significant '-cchi' at the ends of their names. Of all of their names. He doubted anyone else had noticed, too worried about other things that were off about their team.

A sick dread grew in his heart. _What if Kise was homophobic?_

He wouldn't be able to handle that, because out of all the people in his team, he wanted the blonde especially to accept it. Mainly because the blonde was close to him, in a different way that Momoi was. In a way that Kuroko was.

_**(How the heart yearns)**_

Once upon a time, as in, the beginning of middle school, he had a crush on the blonde, but did nothing about it because he was scared of the emotions the blonde brought out of him, being 'straight as they came' and all. Then came Kuroko who helped him to open up and accept his sexuality, and soon certain things happened and they became a couple.

He knew in his heart he would always love the blonde more than the bluehead, but if the blonde was against homosexual relationships, he would never say anything.

_**(Love complicated everything)**_

He was getting stronger and the blonde was getting weaker.

And he hated it.

Hated how the blonde didn't even try anymore. He had stopped the one-on-one's completely and skipped practices, more often than Aomine himself did.

_**(Why why why?)**_

Everyone had noticed now. Kise knew that they knew that something was wrong. But Aomine couldn't figure it out.

Maybe because he was dense like everyone said, or maybe Kise was just really good at hiding it. If anyone knew, no one said anything.

It just continued on.

_**(They all should have. Maybe then he wouldn't have suffered so much)**_

Then came the day Kise left.

Aomine was just frustrated at this point; he cared for the blonde, but it was too much. He was strong, he was weak, he didn't try, he fucking loved the damn blonde, he was against his relationship, he loved-

He'd had enough.

He screamed at the blonde, taking his anger out on the emotionless blonde. His own unrequited love being the forceful push. And finally, he said one last thing; if he couldn't handle being in a team with a homosexual couple, he could leave.

Just. Go.

The blonde just stared at the panting navyhead and walked off.

_**(Walked away from him)**_

After the blonde _- his blonde -_ left, he broke up with Kuroko, unable to stay sane in the relationship any longer. The bluehead accepted the separation without questioning, which Aomine was glad about, knowing that they wouldn't have lasted anyway.

Of course, his attitude had changed during the course of the falling out of the team, and only to be strengthened by Kise's leaving; no longer was he the pure and happy Aomine who loved basketball. No, he now had a motto and one motto only.

_'The only one who can beat me is me.'_

**_(Oh, how people change, and not always for the better)_**

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**Momoi POV**

It was strange to see things from the outside. Because she was not directly involved in the conflict (even though it affected her just as much), it brought new information to light.

_**(She gathered her information well, just like she always did)**_

She knew things that she probably shouldn't have known about them, specifically the pretty blonde, Kise.

She knew that his dad was dying, and that the modelling agency was considering to drop him. She knew that Aomine wasn't happy as he seemed, though she didn't know why. She knew that the team was falling apart, and she couldn't stop it from happening.

_**(Maybe she didn't truly know)**_

She, like all the others, noticed how the team was falling. But, unlike most of the others, she knew the reason why; they were all getting stronger in their abilities, except for Kise. Their strength increase caused them to rely only on themselves, and Kise's decreased caused them to leave him behind.

In some ways, Momoi could see why Kise was rushing the growing distance between them.

_**(To stop him from hurting)**_

She wondered why he wouldn't say a word about his problems. She knew he was falling into depression, but she didn't want to confront him, in fear he would pull away even more than he already was.

And that would cause more problems.

She wanted to stop this, stop all their problems, to stop him from breaking, but what could she do without him pulling away?

_**(What should she do?)**_

She then heard that Kise's father had died. Yet, he came to school the next day, like nothing had happened. Did he not care?

No, he did. Of course he did; he was Kise's most precious person, besides Aomine.

Then why...?

Oh, he hadn't said anything. The team was as normal as could be; well as normal as it could be. It was as if someone close to their teammate hadn't died.

_**(Why didn't Kise saying anything? We would have helped him through it...)**_

Then she heard about Kise being dropped from the agency. She saw how he struggled to hide anything now.

Soon they would notice.

_**(They would help, right?)**_

They did notice, but nothing changed.

Momoi screamed at them in her head; why wouldn't they help? If she could, she would, but she can't!

She wasn't close enough to Kise to get through him. She would only drag him deeper if she attempted to try.

_**(Why?)**_

_He left._

Just like that. He left because he wasn't helped by his friends, his teammates. By her.

Maybe she should have tried, even if it could have made him worse. At least then she tried.

The truth was, she was scared to see someone so dear to her be lost, and have her help only to make it worse.

_**(She regretted it)**_

She found out where he was a year later; Kaijou High, a prestigious school with a hood education. She heard he was doing well, but hadn't joined the basketball team.

She thought to tell the others about where he was, but went against it.

Somehow she knew that he was better off without them, and had a better life. Somehow.

_**(She hoped he was happy)**_


End file.
